


Differences in Captors

by frozenCinders



Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: Dark Irregulars, M/M, Stockholm Syndrome, Unhealthy Relationships, satoru gets kidnapped and misses his first kidnapper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 10:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8976403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frozenCinders/pseuds/frozenCinders
Summary: While he may have said otherwise at first, Satoru did not consider himself a prisoner of Scharhrot's, as he wanted nothing more than to be with him. He's certain this feeling will not arise with his new captor, and he's willing to bear additional sins to make it back to Scharhrot.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i love dark irregulars too much to kill any of them so zhishan is just some schmuck.
> 
> *apologies if the rating is off, there are some "mature themes" but i struggled with whether the rating should be M or T...

Satoru had awoken feeling out of place. He kept his eyes closed and tried to ignore it, but flinched when a hand caressed his face before moving down to his neck. He heard the click of his collar being removed and he opened his eyes to find an unfamiliar room with no windows and an equally unfamiliar man touching him.

"Good morning, beautiful," he greeted, moving Satoru's hair out of his face. Satoru sat up and backed away.

"Who- where am I? Who are you? Where is my master?" he asked in succession, growing frantic as he tried to figure out if this room looked like it belonged in Scharhrot's castle at all.

"Shh, don't worry about him. My name is Zhishan, and you'll never have to see Scharhrot again."

Zhishan spoke as if to soothe him, but Satoru began to panic.

"What do you mean?" he asked, hoping with all of his being that Zhishan wouldn't tell him Scharhrot was actually dead.

"I've always specialized in hiding and covering my tracks. He won't find us."

Satoru sighed in relief.

"Aw, you did fear him, didn't you? Well, don't worry. I won't continue to allow a beauty like you to go to waste," Zhishan assured, misinterpreting Satoru's relief.

"I'm only glad he's alive. I want nothing to do with you," Satoru said bluntly, moving to the side of the bed Zhishan wasn't sitting on to stand.

"Oh, you'll change your mind. Besides, you can't escape here on your own."

What did that mean? Were there armed guards ready to subdue him if he tried to leave?

"Now, don't be afraid to approach the servants if you need something to eat or desire someone to talk to. I've ordered them not to harm you, no matter what. That is my love for you, Satoru," Zhishan said, standing and walking around the bed to reach Satoru, who stepped away.

He'd never met this man before, and Zhishan claimed to be in love with him?

"And of course, don't be afraid of me, either. I could never harm that gorgeous face."

Zhishan raised his hand and reached for Satoru's face, but Satoru moved away, cautiously walking to the other side of the bed. Zhishan chuckled at his antics.

"You'll change your mind," he said.

With that, he exited the room, leaving Satoru to his thoughts. Zhishan had taken the collar with him, and Satoru felt oddly bare without it. He lied down again with his hand on his neck. As the reality of the situation caught up with him, Satoru spent a large part of the day struggling not to cry while ignoring and rejecting Zhishan as often as he could.

* * *

  
A day later, upon accepting there was no way Scharhrot would be able to find him on his own, an idea almost immediately came to Satoru. It excited him only in his unsettlement, his pulse already faster before he'd even attempted anything. He wondered how fast word traveled in Dark Zone.

The servants were all under Zhishan's orders not to harm him under any circumstance, assumedly leaving out the exception of self defense in the clouded judgement that came with infatuation. Technically, Satoru could get away with anything until word reached Zhishan and he was punished. But fear of punishment was not nearly enough to deter him- he'd bear anything to make it back home to his master.

With anxiety adding an unsteady tremble to his movements, Satoru discreetly retrieved a knife from the kitchen and hid it behind his back, just in case. He walked away- further from any rooms- and waited for a servant to pass by. As one approached, Satoru felt his stomach drop and he tried his best to still his shaking and remain calm.

"Excuse me," he politely began, "I have a request for you."

"Hm? Uh... you're the vampire's pet master Zhishan likes to think he rescued, right?"

Satoru nodded, the servant's choice of words somehow inspiring a tiny feeling of safety.

"Sorry, but I'm probably not gonna be able to do much for you. If it's a meal you want, I can tell the cooks for you, but..." he trailed off, offering a shrug.

"I ask that you please spread the word of my location," Satoru requested regardless. The servant's eyes widened before he shook his head and sighed.

"See, that's one of those things I can't help you with, buddy. Why don't you just have a snack and a nap, you'll feel better."

"Why can't you help me..?" Satoru asked, knowing the answer.

"Come on, how spoiled were you? If I do that, I'll get punished, obviously. Zhishan- _master_ Zhishan'd punish you too for asking me to do that in the first place. Now, if you settle down and go to your room, he doesn't have to know we had this conversation. Alright?"

He was talking too much and frankly surprising Satoru with how casual he was being. Satoru saw no good opportunity, no good reason for this man to have to be harmed. And yet...

"Would the threat of future punishment for something that might not get traced back to you," Satoru steeled himself, "scare you more than immediate punishment?"

"Immediate-" The servant laughed upon realizing he was being threatened.

"You do know everyone knows otherworlders are weak, right? Even if you had the guts, you spoiled brat, you wouldn't be able to pull it off."

Satoru's grip tightened around the handle of the knife to the point of being painful. He was probably right. He'd never intentionally harmed anyone before, and certainly never killed anyone. Scharhrot had actually ordered him to execute a servant who'd harassed Satoru once, expressing a mixture of amusement and disappointment when Satoru couldn't do it- when he winced and felt ill as he watched Scharhrot kill them with ease.

Satoru thought, I wonder if he'd be proud of me? And before he could contemplate it, the knife was driven into the servant's shoulder. His hand was steadier but his gut twisted and churned with a horrendous feeling, worsened by the servant's scream of pain. He was caught off guard at first, but now he was panting through his teeth, too shocked to glare as he stared up at Satoru from his now hunched over position.

Satoru found keeping his face expressionless was easier than he thought, having expected himself to burst into tears had he actually managed to stab someone. It worked wonders for intimidation when Scharhrot did it. Satoru briefly wondered if he pulled it off a fraction as well.

"I ask," Satoru repeated carefully and clearly as he purposely leaned on the knife to apply pressure, "that you please spread the word of my location."

"You're lucky I'll be killed if I retaliate, you little fucker," the servant growled, the initial shock having worn off, allowing hatred to seep into his gaze in its stead.

One hand was hovering over Satoru's own. The other, clenched in pain, took to the wall for support. As blood ruined the servant's clothes, Satoru couldn't help but think it was a waste in the back of his mind.

"I'm afraid you had an unlucky hand from the start," Satoru said, though the words fell from his mouth faster than he could process them. How did he manage to say that so calmly?

"Tch, you're telling me... You know what? Fine. I'm sick and god damn tired of calling that bastard "master" anyway. This'll probably get him killed if your precious vampire does decide to come rescue you."

His cruelty dissipating immediately, Satoru ceased putting pressure on the knife, removing himself completely and stepping back. He suddenly felt rather meek and... normal.

"Ah... maybe I could convince my master to let you go free..." Satoru didn't intend to promise anything, but he thought aloud anyway.

"Oh, shit, hang on. He could actually reward me for helping him find you, huh? Alright, now I'm definitely in," the servant affirmed with determination, a smile on his face despite the knife in his shoulder.

"I'll take care of it, buddy. You just be sure to remember my face, alright? Point me out to your master as the guy who made finding you possible."

Satoru nodded, unable to help mirroring his smile with a small grin of his own. He did still feel awful for hurting him, but he seemed to take it quite well. Satoru was sure a healer or two must have resided in the building; the servant probably knew all along he'd be fine as long as he wasn't killed.

Placing a hand over his chest, Satoru felt his heartbeat as it calmed down, leaning on the wall as he suddenly felt drained as the adrenaline left him. He closed his eyes, his back flush against the wall, and took a deep breath.

"My," Satoru's eyes shot open at the sound of Zhishan's voice, "you make an awfully tempting image..."

Was he there the whole time? Satoru's heart raced, certain he'd been caught.

"Are you ready to forget Scharhrot and submit to me?" Zhishan asked, resting an arm on the wall beside Satoru's head while his other hand caressed his face.

Apparently, he'd only just arrived. Satoru calmed down considerably.

"I still belong to him..." Satoru mumbled, trying to sound reluctant. Perhaps it would be best if he could keep Zhishan in a room with him for a while...

"Hmm..? You don't sound too enthused about it anymore... was the collar affecting your mind, then?"

Zhishan smiled and Satoru didn't feel as uneasy as he previously did, knowing he'd be able to go home soon.

"Will you... lie down with me?" Satoru asked, bringing his hand up to touch Zhishan's wrist.

Zhishan looked utterly shocked, but he quickly donned an excited smile, moving to quite literally sweep Satoru off his feet.

"I never thought you would submit so easily..." he murmured fondly as he carried Satoru. "If you're finally willing, perhaps I can claim you for real tonight."

That startled Satoru. Somehow, he'd forgotten that Zhishan's feelings for him were only driven by his interest in Satoru's appearance, and he found himself unsettled again. But he reminded himself: he had already decided that he'd bear any punishment if it meant making it back home. He would feel filthy and perhaps Scharhrot would complain, but Satoru decided sleeping with Zhishan wasn't the worst thing that could happen to him. He'd do it if he had to.

They made it to Zhishan's room faster than Satoru expected, and Zhishan kicked the door shut behind him and set Satoru down to sit on the bed.

"Please be gentle," he requested, keeping his head down in order to look up at Zhishan, fluttering his eyelashes just a bit. He could practically see Zhishan's heart melting.

"Of course! I would never ruin this for you, not when you've finally come around!" was his immediate answer.

Satoru felt uneasy again but quickly realized there were steps and forms of sex, and perhaps he could get away with a smaller, less significant session for the moment. Just touching Zhishan wouldn't be so bad...

"I-I'm a little scared," he lied- or, well, it wasn't a _complete_ lie, "can we... can we wait to go all the way..?"

Satoru felt a crack in what remained of his pride, but he felt even more embarrassed when he realized he wasn't acting too differently from how he does with Scharhrot. Was he really like that?

"Oh..? So you aren't ready after all..." Zhishan seemed significantly less excited. "But it's not as if this is your first time."

"It's..." Satoru feigned shyness as he thought of an excuse, even doing the little finger thing he'd seen shy girls do in cartoons before. "It's my first time with someone who loves me..."

"Oh, you are absolutely adorable, Satoru," Zhishan sighed, pinching Satoru's cheek and bringing him out of the persona he'd crafted for a moment as he let raw, uncomfortable confusion take over his face. He covered it up by pouting and rubbing his cheek.

"Did he take you against your will? Ruin your first time?" Zhishan asked, his voice low and sympathetic.

Satoru wanted to say no, wanted to explain with enthusiasm their first sexual encounter during that bath when his wrist was in a cast, wanted to tell him how exciting it was and how it had actually been one of the first nonthreatening encounters he'd had with Scharhrot...

But he didn't.

"Y-yes," he lied, and it felt a little disgusting to slander Scharhrot's name like that.

"Poor thing..."

Zhishan cradled Satoru in his arms, petting his hair. Satoru wrapped his arms around Zhishan's neck and brought him down to lay with him. He flinched when Zhishan kissed his neck without warning.

"I'm not going to bite you," he chuckled, "I'm not like that brute of a vampire."

Satoru opened his mouth to say "actually, he's an aristocrat," but remained silent. What Scharhrot's enemies thought of him couldn't be helped, and arguing with Zhishan would get him nowhere.

"I'll treat you right," Zhishan promised against Satoru's cheek, planting a kiss there as well. Unfortunately, having a man on top of him was indeed a little arousing regardless of what he wanted. He hoped his body wouldn't betray him too much.

"I'm sure you're sick of being made to pleasure someone else, aren't you?"

 _'Well, get off me then,'_ Satoru thought bitterly.

"How about I make this just for you... I don't need anything but your sweet little moans in return," Zhishan cooed, already lifting Satoru's shirt.

A wave of arousal swept through him and a desire to be held down and fucked roughly made itself known, but this wasn't Scharhrot. His body would have to wait until he got home.

Satoru closed his legs, having hoped the situation would have gone the opposite direction, with Satoru servicing Zhishan, but it couldn't be helped, he supposed.

As Satoru's shirt was removed, the unlocked door flew open and a servant burst into the room, beginning to speak but quickly cutting himself off as he awkwardly stared at the scene before him.

"This better be good," Zhishan warned, dropping Satoru's shirt on the bed next to him.

"U-uh, yes..! We're being attacked, my lord!" the servant alerted, frantic again.

"Of all the times..." Zhishan's gaze dragged back over to Satoru. "You stay here where it's safe. I'll be with you again soon enough."

Satoru had wondered how quickly word traveled in Dark Zone, but he never expected Scharhrot to launch a full attack so soon... if that was him, that is. Satoru quickly remembered that Dark Zone was an extremely unsafe continent. It made sense that the inhabitants would be attacking each other as usual. Satoru rarely received word of the battles Scharhrot had to deal with, but that was probably because nobody was foolish enough to attack his castle head on.

Satoru put his shirt back on and wandered over to the window to look outside, shocked to see how high up he was. Was that fog or a cloud? Satoru opened the window and peeked out to look around and yes, this building was definitely in the sky. That must have been what Zhishan meant when he said Satoru wouldn't be able to escape without assistance, and why he let him roam around freely.

So how were they being attacked, then? Satoru quickly assumed Zhishan must have had some territory on the ground that was being attacked, but something large enough to be a person flew by at a high speed. Satoru was too startled to react, simply standing there at the window as the person stopped and looked back at him. He quickly flew to the window and Satoru fell backwards, looking up at the person.

He had an unusually- and no doubt _deceptively_ gentle smile on his face, with hair over an eye and large wings that looked to be made of blades of some sort. He casually leaned his elbows on the windowsill, a hand supporting his head.

"Well, you're a little cutie," he said, tracing a circle in the dust on the windowsill with his free hand. "Whose room is this?"

"Y-you can't... be in here," Satoru tried, but he realized he really couldn't care less if this man got in and wrecked the place. His only concern was getting kidnapped _again_. And right after he'd gotten that servant to spread the information of where he was...

"Oh, come on. The only limits of what you can and can't do are only physical. That's how it is in Dark Zone, at least," the man shrugged, leaning up before his wings curled unnaturally and the smile fell from his face.

"Ow, quit it!" he yelped, too casual to be speaking to an enemy. His wings were yanked by some unseen force before apparently being let go.

"Hey, he's taken, just so you know," a man with short blond hair and red markings on his face poked his head in to inform Satoru.

"I wasn't..."

"Yeah, I know you weren't, but he was," the man said, pulling the other's ear.

"Anthy, why..." he whined, his wings wrapping around both of them.

"Aren't you at risk of getting caught here..?" Satoru spoke up as he finally stood. They didn't seem too threatening with how casual they were being, despite the giant knives on the one man's back.

"Well yeah, if you keep that door wide open," Anthy said... though Satoru was almost positive that was a nickname. He then hopped through the window and jumped to the door, calmly closing it so as not to draw attention.

"My name's Sullivan," the man with the wings introduced himself, now sitting on the windowsill and swinging his legs. "I'm interested to know yours..."

"Satoru..."

"And I'm Anthony," the remaining man interjected, "though, some call me Knife Conductor."

"Knife Conductor? Is that how you were controlling his wings?" Satoru asked, watching Sullivan's fond smile turn into a smirk as he huffed.

"Well, pretty much any metal, really," Anthony specified, moving his hand as if he'd backhanded a flying insect in time with the metal bed frame suddenly dragging a few inches across the floor.

"And he's an acrobat," Sullivan chimed, hopping off the windowsill to walk over and kiss Anthony on the cheek.

"Um, what are you doing here?" Satoru was almost afraid to ask, as if it would remind them that they wanted to kill him, if that had been their intention.

"Eh, fighting for fighting's sake," Anthony explained. "But this one's not in the mood."

"I skipped breakfast, I don't feel like protecting anyone," Sullivan explained, wrapping his arms around Anthony's waist and resting his head on his shoulder.

"Protecting? Do you specialize in defensive magic?" Satoru asked, as the magic of this world had interested him from the start. One of Scharhrot's followers specialized in defensive magic and had shown it off to him since it wasn't dangerous. All she did was bounce a pebble away from him, but it had looked amazing.

"Not like a Sentinel, we've got Tyrwhitt for that. Though my power is arguably better. I wanted offensive power, but... can't always get what we want," Sullivan explained. Satoru remembered reading the term Sentinel in one of the books from Scharhrot's library and nodded, still not fully understanding.

"Anyway... what about you?" Anthony asked, yanking Sullivan's wing away with his power when it playfully covered his face. Sullivan kissed his cheek again with an exaggerated "mwah" sound.

"You know, there's a bed right here..." Sullivan suggested, holding Anthony tighter.

"Oh my god, not now," he said, giving Sullivan's arm a light slap.

"I, um... I don't actually live here," Satoru explained, acknowledging Anthony's question.

"Oh, perfect. So you're not a guard or anything," Sullivan said, moving to sit on the bed regardless.

Satoru froze, wondering if he should leave to give them privacy.

"Sully, I said not now," Anthony repeated, though he didn't seem vehement.

Sullivan lied down on his side with his back to Anthony and sighed.

"This is actually really comfortable..."

"So's our bed at home. Come on, get up."

Anthony lifted Sullivan's wings and even dragged him back a few centimeters but Sullivan didn't get up.

"So if you're not fighting, then..."

"Ordered to be here," Anthony said, "Sully's not so great at attacking so where he goes, I go."

"Hey..." Sullivan protested, getting up on an elbow and looking back at Anthony, who smiled at him.

"I miss being independent..." he lamented, lying down fully again. Satoru still felt like he should leave.

"Well, Reijy's apparently not nuts anymore so he can actually handle an army now..."

"What?"

Satoru had heard that name before. Reijy was apparently someone who was so incredibly powerful that he could reduce a person to dust with a touch. Scharhrot had been relieved to hear of his death a long while ago.

"Ah, not everyone knows yet. Reijy's back and his mind's not going down the drain anymore, I guess," Anthony explained. "Don't ask me how."

"I don't know if he still has that problem where he can't touch anyone..." Sullivan said, sitting up when Anthony approached the bed.

"What's it matter to you?"

"A lot, have you seen him?" Sullivan answered with a smile, and Anthony clicked his tongue but didn't seem to argue.

At least the two were keeping him company; Satoru had been dreadfully bored while he was stuck there. He didn't ask for any forms of entertainment because that felt like he was resigning to his fate.

"So if you don't live here, what are you doing? You an assassin? Or wait- are you hired company?" Anthony bombarded him with questions, sitting when Sullivan lightly kicked his leg.

Satoru blinked.

"Um... are you asking if I'm a prostitute?"

"Are you?"

"Oh, can we take him home?" Sullivan asked, pressing his cheek against Anthony's before he fell onto his back with a swish of Anthony's hand, his wings spread out flat across the bed.

"Ugh... if you're gonna keep being mean, I'll put them away," Sullivan said, putting a small amount of effort into getting up but failing. People wearing armor must have extreme trouble against Anthony, now that Satoru thought about it.

"Go for it. You know I can pin you down anyway," Anthony teased, crossing his arms.

"I would rather... go home to my master..." Satoru hesitated to interrupt.

"Master? Who would that be?" Anthony looked away from Sullivan to ask, who tackled Anthony with his wings put away... somehow. Where did they go?

"Ah... Scharhrot Vampir..."

Satoru almost struggled to say his master's name. It held such gravity for him, and he wasn't normally permitted to say it out loud.

"That guy, huh..." Sullivan said, his expression now neutral. "You know, we'd probably treat you better than he does..."

"That... was what got me here in the first place. I was kidnapped..."

"Oh, so your master doesn't know where you are, either?"

"Um..." It would seem he'd spoken too much.

"Well, this place is a hell of a lot harder to find and get to than ours. I feel like we'd be pretty screwed if we took him," Anthony reasoned. Satoru didn't relax completely yet, but he was less tense.

"Then maybe we can just have fun with him here..."

Anthony huffed.

"If I'd have known you were so horny, we could've taken care of this beforehand."

"We can take care of it now..."

"Should I leave?" Satoru finally asked, taking a step back.

"No, feel free to watch. Or join in," Sullivan offered, pulling Anthony down on top of him.

"What are you buffoons doing?!"

Satoru looked to the window to find a very thin boy with silver hair and blade wings that looked different from Sullivan's- these ones actually had some feathers on them.

"You wanna join in too, Sykes?"

"Wha-" Sykes stumbled back from his position leaning forward into the room, now completely outside and no longer touching the window. "W-w-what are you saying, idiot?! Get out here and get back to work!"

With that, Sykes flew off. Anthony stood but Sullivam still didn't appear to be in any hurry.

"Did you see him blush for a second there?"

"Thought you said he wasn't your type?"

"Well, he's proven himself to be pretty cute..."

"Come on, we really have been here for too long. Let's get this over with," Anthony said, holding a hand out to Sullivan. He smiled and gently took his hand, wings slowly coming out of his back as he stood. Satoru wished he had a view of Sullivan's back so he could have gotten the details.

"Actually, just one little thing," Sullivan said, releasing Anthony's hand and stepping towards Satoru.

Satoru's eyes widened as Sullivan pulled him into a hug.

"You smell nice," Sullivan noted, resting his chin on Satoru's head.

"Ah... thank you..?"

Sullivan pulled away with a smile and rubbed Satoru's shoulders a little before following Anthony back to the window.

"I'll miss you," Sullivan called as he hopped out of the window with one last wave. Anthony shook his head and followed him.

Satoru stood in silence for a moment before deciding to close the window. After a few boring minutes, he figured a nap would be the best way to pass the time...

But couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard he tried. He lied in bed with nothing but his thoughts to entertain him, eventually getting up to pace around after a while. He paced until he ran out of breath, at which point he sat on the bed and returned to his thoughts.

He wondered what Scharhrot was doing, and how he was feeling. He wondered if Frederick was going to hop through the window and whisk him away, taunting Scharhrot before eventually handing Satoru over. He wondered if Scharhrot would sneak in and be unable to resist feeding on him before taking him home.

Lying down again, Satoru did manage to doze off a few times, but only for about 3 collective hours. He frustratedly sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Hello, again!"

Satoru looked at the door to see Sullivan there. He took a second to wonder why that was, until he realized...

"Did... did you win?" he asked, worry growing within him.

"We certainly did," Sullivan confirmed with a smile, "and it turns out Reijy wanted a castle anyway, so... at least you won't be abandoned here."

"Did you kill everyone..?"

"I believe so. Zhishan is definitely dead; turns out Reijy still has that dust touch..."

"But what about the servants?"

"Hm... if they weren't fighting, I guess they could have survived. Reijy wasn't interested in servants, so if he didn't change his mind, they might all be dead just because."

Satoru's hands clenched into fists.

"But hey, at least I get to see you again," Sullivan said, as if that was a bright side for Satoru.

"Fuck, I knew you'd be in here," Anthony said from the hallway, his voice growing slightly louder as he approached the room.

"Come on, he's gotta be bored out of his mind here. At least let me talk to him."

That much was true.

"Don't make me drag you away by the wings!"

"What's the point of being in an open relationship when you're so fussy about who I sleep with?"

"It only makes sense..."

Were they having a lover's spat?

"Um..."

"Not now, sugar," Sullivan dismissed without looking at him. "And it really doesn't. Not when you disapprove of everyone I pick out."

"... Sugar?"

"There was... uh..." Anthony paused. "... Have I really said no to everyone? Like, absolutely everyone?"

"Well... there were a few you liked, I guess. But definitely less than 5."

"What does sugar mean..?" Satoru tried again, still being ignored.

"Then you're exaggerating!"

Satoru really didn't need to hear all this. Sullivan huffed and turned away, but looked at Anthony again within a few seconds.

"Can I have a make-up kiss?"

Anthony gave him a quick peck and Sullivan frowned and wrapped his arms around his neck.

"Uh, Satoru, was it?" Anthony addressed, trying to unwrap Sullivan's arms.

"Yes..."

"You staying here? Or do you have some kind of plan?"

Satoru felt a distressing mix of guilt and anxiety as he thought about his plan. He'd hurt that man and ordered him around, and then he'd given him hope. And now he was most likely dead.

"Yet another sin I have to bear..." he muttered.

"What was that?" Anthony asked, moving closer to stand in front of him once he'd detached Sullivan from himself.

"I... had a plan. But I don't think it's possible anymore if that servant is no longer alive."

"What did you need a servant for?"

"Just anyone capable of leaving the building so they can spread rumors about my location... so they could reach my master."

"I say you don't need a master," Sullivan chimed, brushing past Anthony to sit next to Satoru. "But I bet you could use a boyfriend."

"Sully, come on..."

"Look how cute he is!" Satoru flinched as Sullivan tucked a lock of hair behind his ear.

"You really wanna be getting your scent all over him? Scharhrot's a vampire..."

Sullivan seemed to consider this for a moment.

"Fine, you win," he conceded, standing up again.

"Win..?"

Satoru was lost. Sullivan then turned to him and smiled.

"I'll take you to his castle if you promise to give me a kiss." Sullivan had hair over an eye, but Satoru was pretty sure he just winked at him, and Satoru froze up at his words.

"Whatever. That's fine, I guess," Anthony sighed, crossing his arms. Sullivan leaned in, his hands on Anthony's shoulders.

"I'll make it up to you tonight," he promised in a low voice. Anthony seemed to relax slightly at that.

"Will you really take me home? That easily?" Satoru asked in disbelief, quickly standing as he did.

"Sure. No point in having you around if Anthony says I can't have you."

That... sounded like something Satoru should be offended by, but he couldn't bring himself to mind.

"Thank you very much," he said, bowing at Sullivan.

"How cute..." he cooed, a smile visible when Satoru looked up again.

"Need help, or are you going alone?"

"I can handle it. Besides, you'll just get jealous if you watch him kiss me."

"I mean... I kinda already know it's gonna happen."

"It's just a quick errand, anyway," Sullivan dismissed. "Wait for me here..."

Anthony sighed, closing his eyes and mumbling a "fine." Sullivan took Satoru's hand and led him out into the hallway.

As they walked, Satoru's excitement to go home was dampened by what he'd done. If he had just waited, Sullivan would have come to take him home anyway. Hurting that servant and giving him false hope was completely unnecessary, even if Satoru didn't know it. The feeling was made worse when they passed the spot he recognized as being the one he'd encountered the servant at earlier, as there was still a small amount of dried blood on the ground.

He made someone bleed...

"You alright?" Sullivan asked, pulling Satoru from his thoughts.

"I'm... fine, yes," he lied, figuring there was no point in explaining.

"Now who's this? A remaining enemy?"

Satoru gasped and stepped back, startled even further by one of Sullivan's wings wrapping around him. This stranger only had six wings as opposed to the many blades Sullivan and Sykes possessed, but he somehow seemed... superior.

"No, Reijy. He can't fight. I'm just escorting him home."

Satoru was surprised that Sullivan was telling the truth. Did Reijy not desire an otherworlder pet? Or could he not tell Satoru was one?

"Why bother?"

"Why not? Look at him. Someone misses him."

Satoru didn't really understand what that meant, and Reijy seemed confused, too. He shook his head and walked past them without another word. Satoru couldn't help but be impressed at how much power his sheer image appeared to hold. Satoru hadn't realized who he was at first, but could immediately tell he was terrifying. He wondered if Scharhrot would have had the same effect when they'd first met, if he hadn't bitten Satoru from behind before he could see him.

"Don't mind him," Sullivan assured, moving his wing away from Satoru and continuing to walk with him.

Satoru was tempted to ask about him but worried he might seem like he was gathering information on Scharhrot's enemies, so he held his tongue, walking in silence until they reached the entrance. When they opened the doors, there was a space to walk on, and then absolutely nothing. Satoru approached the edge and looked down, suddenly wondering if he was afraid of heights and just didn't know it. Off to the side, there were two girls, one with large wings hovering off the ground and one with small wings pressing her back against the wall.

"Congratulations on the victoryyy!" the floating one exclaimed, making little v signs with her fingers. "Let's celebrate!"

The other girl literally vanished into thin air and Satoru blinked surprisedly. The floating girl laughed and landed, reaching out to where the other girl had disappeared from. She suddenly reappeared when her arm was grabbed.

"Am I seeing things..?"

"Tyrwhitt and Rodbiss," Sullivan said. "Rodbiss is the one who can turn invisible."

"Invisible... she must be valuable for stealth, then."

"True, though she's more just interested in being a thief rather than helping us. The only reason she's on our side and not still independent is because she's... well, two reasons actually. She's intimidated by Reijy, of course, which was her first reason. But she and Tyrwhitt get along pretty well, too."

Sullivan suddenly picked Satoru up and took off without warning. Satoru clung to him, never having been this high up before. Scharhrot (and Frederick, once) had carried him through the air a few times, but never high up enough for him to be able to touch a cloud.

Sullivan quickly brought him to a lower altitude and Satoru didn't even realize it at first, but it was suddenly easier to breathe. He was silently thankful he never noticed how thin the air was while he was in the castle.

"Do you..." Satoru began to ask, but he looked down again and saw all the buildings and lights, amazed by the view.

"Do I what?" Sullivan urged, smiling down at him.

"Do you know where his castle is?"

"Sure. I know to stay out of his territory, so of course I know where it is. Speaking of... does he know who took you?"

That was a good question. If Zhishan was so good at hiding and eliminating tracks, did Satoru disappear without a trace? Or did Scharhrot know Zhishan was responsible, as well as know that was why he couldn't find Satoru? He supposed he'd find out.

"Sorry, I don't know."

"... Then it's suicide to take you all the way in, huh?"

Satoru blinked.

"But you're taking me home?"

"Yes, but he could easily think I stole you away for a bit of fun and brought you back when I got bored. And like Anthony said, my scent must be all over you by now."

"But why would you return me if you did? Wouldn't you just kill or abandon me?"

"See, you've got a surface understanding of Dark Zone," Sullivan scoffed. "If I knew he didn't know who took you and I was in fact responsible, I could demand a reward for returning you as an extra bonus."

That sounded like what the servant had been saying. Greed must run rampant in Dark Zone as well.

"Plenty of people get themselves killed over stuff like this. Though... if I just drop you off at the start of his territory, you could get snatched up again."

Satoru looked up at Sullivan with desperate eyes. He sighed and grinned.

"Alright, enough with the puppy dog eyes. You're lucky you're cute."

"What?"

"I'll bring you straight to Scharhrot's castle, so don't cry."

Satoru perked up as the castle came into view in the distance. As it was night, Scharhrot may not be home. That could be advantageous for Sullivan, as there would be nobody there to punish him for a misunderstanding. Satoru happened to look to the side and was impressed to see a butterfly keeping up with them. He then gasped, recognizing it.

"Land," he said with urgency. Sullivan obeyed without question, gently setting him down.

"Master..?"

Satoru got no answer, but the butterfly approached him with several others. Satoru never knew their purpose, but hesitantly allowed them to land on him anyway. Out of the corner of his eye, Sullivan stepped away from one.

In an instant, Satoru heard an unmistakably magical sound and felt strong arms wrap around him. He looked back to find Sullivan with his wings wrapped protectively around himself, with a glow dissipating from him.

"You're not Zhishan," Scharhrot said, and Satoru belatedly realized that was who was holding him.

"You're right, I'm not. That person is dead. Well, as of today, that is."

"Is that so?"

Scharhrot looked down at Satoru.

"I went through the trouble of bringing him here rather than keeping him for myself. The least you could do is not kill me," Sullivan argued as he had to protect himself from another spell flung at him. Satoru suspected Scharhrot's attacks wouldn't be so easy to block if he wasn't in the way.

"Quite an interesting power," Scharhrot commented. Satoru then remembered Sullivan specialized in defense, so perhaps Scharhrot wasn't being hindered and Sullivan was just that strong.

"Thanks. Those butterflies of yours are neat, too," Sullivan remarked rather casually, his wings still ready to guard another attack.

"A Blade Wing, aren't you..."

Satoru sighed as he remembered what Sullivan had asked of him.

"Sullivan... do you still..?"

"Do not speak to him," Scharhrot ordered, startling Satoru.

"Want the kiss? You bet I haven't forgotten."

"What's this about a kiss?"

"My price for bringing him home. Pretty cheap, I might add. Better than demanding some territory or an absurd amount of cash, hm?"

Scharhrot stared at him in silence for a few moments before looking down at Satoru again.

"And you agreed to this..?"

"Actually... ah, I didn't really answer him..." Satoru admitted, unsure of which answer Scharhrot wanted to hear.

"So no agreement was established?" Scharhrot concluded, his eyes on Sullivan again.

"... I mean, I guess..." Sullivan shrugged.

"Then your reward for returning what's mine will be to escape with your life."

"No, wait," Satoru said, halfheartedly attempting to push away from Scharhrot. "I'll do it."

"You are just the cutest, you know that? But this guy seems like a tyrant, don't go getting yourself punished for me."

"Leave now before I change my mind," Scharhrot warned, releasing Satoru to gather some sort of magic between his hands.

"Hey, you know what? If we meet again and your master's not threatening me, I'll take that kiss. Bye-bye, Satoru," Sullivan said before taking off again, rushing past Scharhrot.

"Satoru." He flinched, cautiously looking up Scharhrot.

"Yes, master?"

"You're bathing when we get home. You smell like too many other men," Scharhrot said, picking Satoru up. He felt a bit odd being swept off his feet three times in one day, but didn't mind when he saw how far the castle still was.

"As soon as you're clean, I'm making you mine again."

"Yes, master," Satoru agreed, admittedly excited. He was finally home with the one he loved, and he couldn't wait for things to get back to normal.


End file.
